Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ये शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तन्ते कामचारतः । कृमियोनिं प्रपद्यन्ते तेषां पिण्डो न च क्रिया

Transliteration

ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartante kāmacārataḥ | kṛmiyoniṃ prapadyante teṣāṃ piṇḍo na ca kriyā

Translation

Wer die in den Śāstras gebotenen Vorschriften verwirft und nach bloßer Willkür und Begierde lebt, gelangt zu Geburten unter Würmern; für ihn gibt es weder das Ahnenopfer piṇḍa noch die Totenriten (kriyā).

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• शास्त्रविधिम्: the scriptural injunction
• शास्त्रविधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—शास्त्रस्य विधिः (scriptural rule)

• उत्सृज्य: having cast aside
• उत्सृज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + √सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having abandoned’

• वर्तन्ते: behave, act
• वर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• कामचारतः: according to their own desire (at will)
• कामचारतः: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/Cause nuance/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + चार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ; ‘from/according to’ + स्वेच्छाचार (at will)

• कृमियोनिम्: a worm-birth
• कृमियोनिम्: Karma (Object/Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कृमेः योनिḥ (worm-womb/species)

• प्रपद्यन्ते: attain, fall into
• प्रपद्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पिण्डः: funeral offering (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• क्रिया: rite, ritual act
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (श्राद्धादि) कर्म-क्रिया

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa; context suggests a Purāṇic teacher addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) śrāddha-tirtha context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (dialogue frame continuity)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: a person discards a scripture bundle and walks toward a shadowy, decaying ground; below, imagery of worms symbolizes degraded rebirth; in contrast, a riverbank śrāddha scene fades away, indicating loss of piṇḍa and kriyā.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural discipline (śāstra-vidhi) safeguards dharma; living by whim leads to painful karmic rebirth and loss of auspicious rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter belongs to the Revā/Narmadā Māhātmya, preparing the ground for the river’s purifying greatness rather than naming a single tirtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piṇḍa (ancestral offering) and kriyā (funeral/obsequial rites) are referenced as being forfeited by those who reject śāstric conduct.